National Treasure: The Lost Dutchman Mine
by Eva West
Summary: Ben, Riley and Abigail take a trip to Arizona. Figures that they stumble on another treasure that needs to be found. Sequel to National Treasue: The Bosten Tea Party. Old Pen Name: Pray For the Soul Of Betty
1. Prologue

Don't own National Treasure, and haven't found the mine. Go figure.

This is the Sequel to National Treasure: The Boston Tea-Party. You don't have to read it, but I'd like it if you did.

National Treasure: The Lost Dutchmans Mine

...

Prologue

The Superstition Mountain, located in Arizona is actually a collection of rough terrain that has gained the name of a single mountain. The region takes in thousands of cliffs, peaks, plateaus and mesas. Even today, much of it remains uninvestigated. It has been misnamed as a mountain region, but in fact, it is only one mountain. It isn't the highest mountain, but it's probably the deadliest. Perhaps the 'superstition' in the mountain even caused a madness in prospectors that has encouraged them to kill each other.

Apache Indians were probably the first to see the mountain, and believed that it was the "Thunder God's" place, and they would be killed the second they stepped on the mountain.

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado came seeking the legendary "Seven Golden Cities of Cibola." The Apache would not help him explore the mountain, because they were too scared. The Spanish tried to explore the mountain by themselves only to find that some vanished mysteriously. The bodies that were found were mutilated and their heads cut off, with their heads, laying in a completely different place. Terrified survivors refused to return to the mountain, and named it Monte Superstition.

The first man to discover the gold was Don Miguel Peralta, who's family owned a ranch by Sonora Mexico. He discovered gold in Arizona, while searching for a treasure described in Colorado, in 1845. He named the mine, Sombrero mine. Peralta gathered men and material to work the mine, as it was clear that this was a gold strike like no other.

The Apache were upset over that Spanish presence on the mountain and attacked and massacred the entire troop on the Spaniards. They set all of the mules free, and the gold flew everywhere. The area, nicknamed "Gold Field" became a favorite spot of outlaws, looking to strike it rich.

The next discoverer was Dr. Abraham Thorne. He became a doctor with an officer's rank. In 1865, the fighting between whites and Native Americans was fierce. President Lincoln made a compromise and the Apaches moved to a place along the Verde River, known to locals as the "Strip". Thorne came to live and work amongst the Native Americans. He earned respect and cared for the sick and injured. In 1870, the elders of the Apache said that they would find a place where Throne could find gold. They blindfolded him for about 20 miles of the journey. The Apache brought him to Mount Superstition, and at the base of the canyon wall (as if it was placed there for him) was a stack of pure gold nuggets.

Jacob Walz (or Waltz), was not actually a Dutchman. He was born in Germany, and came to America in 1845. He soon heard the riches that were waiting on the West Coast, so he traveled to California and Nevada, always looking for his fortune. He worked the Sierra Nevada foothills for about ten years, never striking it rich. In 1868, Walz began searching in the Rio Satillo Valley (which is on the northern side of Superstition mountain), and he heard storied of the Mountain, of the fierce god... and the vast deposits of gold. Walz spent the next 20 years prospecting for gold around Arizona. He met Jacob Weiser in 1870, who helped Walz on Superstition Mountain. Walz and Weiser saved Don Miguel Peralta, descendant of the original discoverer of the mine from a certain death in a knife fight. As a reward, he gave them the map to the mine. At some point, Weiser disappeared without a trace. The Apaches could have killed him, or even Walz killed his partner.

But Walz? He was always around, at least part of the time. He would not be spotted for a long period of time, but then he'd be in Phoenix, paying for drinks with gold nuggets. Walz supposedly had the richest gold ore that anybody has ever seen. He vanished back and forth, always coming back with saddlebags full of gold. Many tried to follow him, trying to find the mine, but Walz could always lose his followers.

In the winter of 1891, Julia Elena Thomas befriended Jacob Walz. He promised to take her to the mine in the spring, but she never saw it. Walz died October 25, 1891, with a sack of gold under his deathbed.

Julia went to the mountain with the map Walz had given her, but never found a thing. For money, she copied the map, and sold it tourists. She also made false maps to sell to tourists, because they wouldn't know the difference.

Many men have searched the mountain. Hundreds of prospectors have gone into the Superstition Mountain... only never to come back home.

Countless numbers of people died looking for the mine. Some people have just simply disappeared, some may have gone in secretly, and are listed missing somewhere.

The Peralta Massacre death count could be as few as 100 or as great as 400. Jacob Walz supposedly killed two men, and pinned it on Weiser. He may even of killed Weiser.

But there are other deaths. Some which are not easy to explain. Bullets in the head, are common finds. But bullets in a head, and the head lying away from the body? Not so common. Some heads have been two feet away. There was even one head laying three fourths of a mile away.

Barney Barnard, expert on the Lost Dutchman Mine, claims that there are five rules on searching for it.

1. If you are a citizen of the United States, you have the legal right to search for the mine.

2. Do not buy any maps that claim to show its location. There is no map in existence.

3. Do not go onto the mountain alone. Go in pairs at least and go armed. Shoot only to protect your life.

4. Take plenty of water and carry only light, condensed food.

5. Establish a central camp and work in every direction from it.

Jacob Walz left clues. But fact has been mixed with fiction, and fiction has been mixed with the vivid minds of authors. The clues are these-

"Such rough country that you could be right in the mine without seeing it."

"Shaped like a funnel with the large end up."

"The ledge is eighteen inches wide with pure gold high on a ledge above a gulch and it is well concealed by brush."

"A short distance back from the western end of the main Superstition Mountain"

"If you pass three red hills you have gone too far."

"Go find Wiesner's grave. I buried him near the mine."

Is the Lost Dutchman's Mine still out there in the hills of Arizona? Is the gold still be waiting to be found? But is there something else too? Something that watches over the mountain, or even the mountain itself waiting for a person to walk on what the Apache thought was a holy place?

It certainly is a haunted spot. Haunted by the energy that had taken the lives of men and woman? Or does Jacob Walz watch over his mine?

As Joe Dearing described it, "the most God-awful rough place you can imagine... a ghostly place."


	2. The Pool, The fruit plate and the mine

"Riley, put the computer down, this is supposed to be a nice vacation." Abigail said.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Riley said, not listening at all.

"C'mon!" Abigail said, "I'm going to order lunch by the pool."

Ben watched her leave. "What is it with her and ordering food by the pool?"

"Like I know." Riley answered.

Ben, Abigail and Riley were taking a quick vacation in Scottsdale, Arizona. They were staying at the Westin for a couple nights. Abigail whined about wanting to go back to the Westin for months, and eventually she won in the end. Ben and Abigail left Catherine with Abi's parents. Luckily, Abigail was right and the Westin was a beautiful hotel.

Ben and Riley came out to the pool, to see Abigail under a huge umbrella with a fruit plate and a pink lemonade. She seemed to be entertaining herself fine, so the two guys jumped into the pool.

"This will be fun." Ben said.

Riley sighed. "Yeah, no thinking, no finding huge national treasures-"

Then a huge splash came. Ben thought it was Riley, and Riley thought it was Ben. They were both wrong; it was Abigail who cannonballed into the pool. Ben loved how Abigail wasn't afraid to get her hair wet, and always was ready to jump into the pool.

"Done with the fruit plate?" Riley said.

Abigail splashed him. "Yeah, but I ordered another one."

"Freak." Riley muttered. Abigail whacked him on the head with her noodle.

Later that evening, the three of them were playing pool at the bar on the first floor. Of course, Ben and Riley were winning, but Abigail wasn't really paying attention. She was eating popcorn and reading the stories that were framed on the wall.

The one that she kept on reading was The Lost Dutchman's mine. It was addicting. All of the mystery and superstition, it sucked her right in.

"Abigail!" Riley shouted.

She snapped back. "Oh, is it my turn?"

"Ya think?"

Abigail hit, missed and went back to the wall.

"Hey, Ben?" She called.

"What?" he asked.

"What do you know about the Lost Dutchman's Mine?"

"Oh yeah, Jacob Walz found it, then he died and no one could find it after." Ben said.

"Has any one ever found it?" Riley said.

"Well, not yet." Abigail said with a half-smile.

(Ok, sorry it took me so long for a sequel, but now I've got a kick-ass story planned out. Oh, and yeah, I did stay at the Westin and I did get the idea in that very bar. And I suck at pool. So review!)


	3. We'll do it

"Abigail, we're not gonna find the lost mine!" Riley whined.

"Yeah, we are." Abigail said.

"No, we're really not." Ben said. "We don't know anything about prospecting or mines or anything!"

"Well, it's a good thing that Jacob Walz said it was in a place no seasoned prospector would think to look." Abigail answered.

Riley had a reason that he didn't want to find the mine. He pulled up the information on his laptop, and showed it to Abigail. "Its not that we shouldn't find it, we can't find it."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Okay," Riley said. "In 1880, two soldiers found gold while crossing the Superstition Mountain. When asked to find it again, they never returned. The search party found one body, dead from a bullet in the head. They other man was found the same way."

"So what?" Abigail said. "That was a long time ago."

"Joe Dearing, found gold, died from a cave in the next week." Riley said.

Ben looked at the screen. "Elisha 'Madman of the Superstitions' got eaten by coyotes and his head was laying some feet away from the body. His search party never came home either."

"1931," Riley continued. "A skull was found with two holes in it, and his body was found a month later, THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE AWAY…"

"1947, James C.'s skeleton was found and his head was wrapped in a blanket 30 FEET AWAY…"

"1958, deserted campsite with a bloodstained blanket was found. No trace of occupant was found."

"Ok!" Abigail yelled. "Your point?"

"People die looking for this mine." Riley said.

"With their head laying far away with bullet holes through it!" Ben said.

"So?" Abigail said.

"Abi, the mountain is haunted." Riley said.

"It is not!" Abigail told him, harshly.

"Heads laying 30 feet away?" Ben asked. "People being shot in the back? Or stomach? Or anywhere really."

"That doesn't mean its haunted." Abigail said.

"Then how did this guy get shot directly above on his head?" Riley asked. "Or how come this man 'fell' off the mountain? Accidentally, I suppose?"

Abigail looked at both of the guys. Then she sighed. "I'm gonna go get drunk." She said, and headed downstairs for the bar.

……………………..

"Can you get me another margarita?" She asked the bartender.

"Rough day?"

"Horrible."

Abigail didn't feel like telling the bartender all of her troubles, so she watched the Diamondbacks game in silence while waiting for her sixth margarita.

"Abigail, how many of those have you had?" Ben asked. Riley was nowhere to be seen.

"Not many." She lied.

"Here you go ma'am." The bartender said.

"Abigail, Riley and I agreed that we'll help you find the treasure." Ben said.

Abigail smiled. "Okay, so here are my ideas-"

"No, hang on." Ben said. "If anything suspicious happens, anything at all, we're packing up and going home. Deal?"

"But-"

"Deal?"

"Fine."

"Excuse me?" A lady sitting next to Abigail said, "Are you speaking of the Lost Dutchman Mine?"

Abigail spun around in her chair. Ben just looked up.

"Do you know anything about it?" Abigail said.

"Well, my great-grandma says that she has a map to the mine." She said.

Abigail straightened up. "Barney Barnard claims that there are no maps in existence."

"But I claim that this map was owned by Jacob Walz and Jacob Wiesner themselves." She said smartly.

"And why is that?"

"Because my great-great-great-grandmother was Julia Thomas." She said.


	4. The Mountain

"Your a Thomas?" Abigail asked.

She nodded. "Catalina Thomas." She had the brightest of bright brown eyes, and tan skin. Her hair was jet black, and it hung past her shoulders slightly crimped. Her smile was just as warm as her eyes.

Abigail decided to trust Catalina. "See, last year we found both parts of the treasure of the Knights Templar, and now we think that maybe we can find the Dutchman's Mine."

"I know that." Catalina answered. "And of course I will help. There's a group going up there in a few days. We can join them."

"A group of who?" Ben said slowly.

"Oh, just some prospectors who think that they can find the mine." Catalina said. "They all are quite, em, different."

Abigail laughed, and Ben frowned. Riley ran up, and looked at Ben. "You didn't give in did you?"

"We're over that." Ben said. Riley sighed. Ben was sucked in, and he couldn't say no to so much mystery.

"Well, who's she?" Riley asked.

"Geez, Riley have some tact." Abigail said. "Catalina, Riley, got it?"

Riley raised his hands as if to surrender.

"You know, there's no fruit plates and service by the pool on Mount Superstition." Riley said, as a pathetic attempt to talk Abigail out of going.

"Really?" Abigail asked sarcastically. "I could have sworn I saw a Ritz Carlton on the very top."

"There's no air conditioning, either!" Riley called.

Soon, Ben, Abigail and Riley had their bags pack, and the tents bought. They met Catalina outside the Westin in her white van.

"This car is gonna get dirty." Riley said.

"Yeah, well, if we had a black van, I'd be over a hundred degrees in five minutes." Catalina said coolly.

"Hey, Dorothy," Abigail hissed in Riley's ear. "We're not in D.C. any more."

When they showed up at the camp site, there were a group of people outside a motor home eating an early dinner. Catalina got out and walked to them. The rest of the group followed suit.

"Kitty Cat!" The blonde woman yelled. She was very very short. She had to be five feet or smaller. Her face was round, and her smile was thin but she looked happy. Her blonde hair was bouncing in curls all over the place, pinned back with a few bobby pins. She was cute, not pretty. But that was ok too.

She ran up to Catalina, and barely came up to her shoulder. Catalina smiled, bent down, and gave her a hug.

"Guys, this is Bobbi." Catalina said.

"Oh, come on!" Bobbi said, pulling on Ben and Abigail's sleeves.

"Kitty Cat?" Riley asked.

"Shut up." Catalina snapped.

"Geez, don't be so touchy." Riley said with a smile.

He laughed and brought Catalina over to the group.

……………………………

Reviews make me smile! Please review!


	5. A GodAwful place

"So, should we get going now?" Catalina asked.

"Yeah." Bill said. Bill and Bobbi were married, Riley, Ben and Abigail had just found out. Bill, unlike Bobbi was a big man, not fat, just big. He was on the Notre Dame football team on a full scholarship about ten years ago.

The other people in the group were Jason, the short red head, Frank, a tall dark haired man, TJ, who was very heavily freckled, and Butch, who was a complete Johnny Depp look-a-like. There were a few other men but their names weren't said yet.

Bill went over to the trailers. He took out a small chesnut horse and handed it to Bobbi.

"We're riding those up?" Abigail asked wide eyed.

"Yeah." TJ said. He handed Abigail a brown and white paint horse. "His name is Kolohe."

Abigail stared at the horse. "I know was Kolohe means! It means rascal! I'm not riding a horse named rascal!"

"Calm down." Catalina said, "I'll take Kolohe and you can take Faith. If you've got some left."

"Shut up." Abigail said.

Evtually, they got Abigail onto her horse, with Ben leading her, and they started going up the mountain.

Abigail's started to feel scared around then. Not, just because of the horse either. The descriptions of the mountain were right.

At the foot of the mountain, it was quite crowded with tourists at the campsite. But going further and further up, there were less and less people, until the group were the only people around. Everybody seemed unfazed though. But as farther and farther Abigail's horse climbed, the nervous feeling seemed to get bigger and bigger.

A few hours later, camp was set up. Everybody was getting ready to head off.

"Ready Abi?" Ben asked.

"N-no." Abigail said. "I...I can't get back on that horse, my butt hurts so bad."

"Ok." Ben said. "Bobbi's staying behind too." A half smile spread across his lips.

"Oh come on." Abigail said.

"Hey," Ben whispered. He handed Abigail a hand gun. "Shoot only if you need to. And only as a last resort." Ben got on his horse. "And not at Bobbi."

Bobbi ran over. "Abi, Abi, Abi! Lets cook dinner!"

"Its two."

For the next few hours, Abigail and Bobbi fed the horses, then fed the boys and Catalina, when they came back.

Abigail couldn't sleep. With Ben next to her on one side, and Catalina on the other side, she felt somewhat protected.

But not protected enough. At around three is the morning, Abi could have sworn she felt something out side the tent brush her feet.

It was a god-awful place.

It is a god-awful place.

Sorry for the wait. Read my profile for more info on what's up with this story.


End file.
